


Put Your Pom Poms Down For Me

by 0ceansgayt



Series: PP Rare Pair Week 2018 [4]
Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, High School, awkward nerd Emily, cheerleader and nerd, just fluffy fluff, super HOTT cheerleader aubrey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-22 05:47:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14302119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0ceansgayt/pseuds/0ceansgayt
Summary: What could Aubrey Posen, cheerleader extraordinaire and part time bad girl need from her, the meek little photography nerd?So really, she was kind of speechless around Aubrey - this picture perfect all-American girl from a military family - not that she thought Aubrey would ever have anything to do with her.





	Put Your Pom Poms Down For Me

**Author's Note:**

> I love this fic and junksen so much, y’all. Gahhhhhhhh. 
> 
> Anyways, sorry about the lack of supernatural. It’ll come. Eventually. Slowly. 
> 
> Drop me a review if you feel like it <33

“I need your help.”

The words had Emily’s head reeling - what could Aubrey Posen, cheerleader extraordinaire and part time bad girl need from her, the meek little photography nerd? She tried to play it cool, she really did, whipping her head around to look at the girl behind her as casually as she could muster.

It wasn’t very casual at all, really.

Aubrey was one of _those_ girls. You know the kind - the cheerleader who wears her uniform to school even when it isn’t a game day just to assert her dominance over the school. It wasn’t that she didn’t look good - because god, did she ever - it was just strange. Not as strange as the fact that Aubrey was so bad in private.

It wasn’t that Emily meant to pry, she just stumbled in on her at the most inopportune moments - like the time Aubrey was smoking behind the bleachers at half time. Emily was photographing the game, camera around her neck and pencil tucked into her bun, ready to take down quotes for the school paper on a whim. They shared a look - more of a glare from Aubrey, actually - before Emily turned and stalked off, a flustered mess.

There was also that time at lunch where Emily found Aubrey sitting in her car, can of beer in her hand and rolling a joint on the dash of her car. She had prepared some long speech about the dangers of mixing alcohol with psychoactive drugs, but her words died on her lips when the blonde winked at her with the joint half hanging out of her mouth.

Emily never mentioned anything to anyone, and Aubrey never bothered her.

It was a nice form of unspoken arrangement. Hell, she even saved Emily from the wrath of the rest of the cheer team, the lanky brunette often an easy target to poke fun at.

So really, she was kind of speechless around Aubrey - this picture perfect all-American girl from a military family - having seen what she has.

“Uh.” Emily cleared her throat, nodding slowly. “What can I do ya for?”

Smooth, Junk. Real smooth.

“That was weird, sorry. I’m weird. How can I help you?”

Aubrey chuckled - honest to fucking goodness chuckled - this light and lilting sound before tossing her ponytail over her shoulder and flashing Emily the most gorgeous smile she had ever seen. And yeah, she would do basically anything for this girl.

“So there’s that project coming up and you’re smart. Like, really smart. And daddy is going to kill me if I don’t get a decent grade in this class...but I have so much on my plate with cheerleading and chastity club and the spring musical, so I was wondering if you wanted to partner up?”

The room went silent for a second, every student waiting for Emily’s reply as though it would make or break the class. It would, really, because nobody says no to Aubrey - especially not when she’s smiling like that and twirling her hair around her finger so innocently that it killed Emily.

She knew that those fingers could twirl around a joint just as easily.

After a moment, Emily nodded again, cursing herself for how idiotic she probably looked. “Yeah, uh, sure. You have me on Facebook, right?” She tried in vain to play it cool, but her brain was racing, one thought to the next in rapid fire succession.

Okay, _everyone_ was a little bit flustered around Aubrey, right? Maybe it was just Emily and her desperate little gay heart.

It was probably that.

“I don’t use Facebook.” Aubrey murmured, tongue poking between cherry red lips as she scrawled something out on a hot pink post it note. Of course it was hot pink, Emily thought. Really, she expected nothing less. The small square was removed from the pad and stuck on Emily’s arm, goofy smile on Aubrey’s lips. “That’s my number and my Snapchat. Text me after class?”

Emily wondered how long after class would be appropriate - surely not immediately after the bell, right?

“Yeah, uh, of course.” She paused for a moment, putting the small square of paper on her binder and clapping her hand over it as though someone would steal it - and really, someone might. It was Aubrey, after all.

Shaking her head, Emily turned back to the board and studied the small note - elegant, swooping purple glittery handwriting on a hot pink square of paper, somehow exactly what she expected. Not that she had ever pictured Aubrey talking to her or anything...she was just too popular for Emily.

She tucked the note into the pocket of her binder and copied down the number the number - and downloaded Snapchat - before trying in vain to listen to the teacher. Emily was usually the top student in all of her classes, copying down each and every word the teacher spoke in addition to the writing on the board, but for some reason she just wasn’t able to focus.

Emily refused to acknowledge the fact that it may have had something to do with the pretty blonde cheerleader that spoke to her.

The bell sounded signaling the end of the day, Emily startling out of her daydream that had nothing to do with the fact that she was soon to be spending time with Aubrey - if only to work on a project.

The teacher cleared her throat, arms folded across her chest as she watched Emily frantically pack up her things. Usually Emily was the first one out of class, bag packed ten minutes before the bell and camera already slung around her neck, waiting to catch something noteworthy for the school paper.

“Miss Junk, you’re rather distracted today.” Mrs. Evans was looking down at Emily, pointed expression on her face. A smirk tugged at the teacher’s lips, head cocked in amusement.

“N-no I’m not. Must be having an off day.”

“You don’t want to let one off day and Miss Posen affect your admission to Yale.” The teacher turned on her heel, effectively ending the conversation as she ran the eraser along the whiteboard.

It wasn’t that Emily wanted to jeopardize her scholarship - she came from a middle class family who couldn’t afford anything more than a state school - she was just so distracted. It was everything about Aubrey - her smile, her perfume, that secret bad girl attitude that no one else knew about.

“I’m not going to. I’ll be fine, Mrs. Evans.” Emily nodded, more for her benefit than the teacher’s. “I’m going to go now. Have a good weekend!”

Emily hurried out of the classroom, stopping by her locker to deposit her bag and pick up her camera lens and notebook. It was a game night, the football team in full force after a crushing loss last week - the perfect opportunity for a front page article about their sure to be triumph over the opposing team. She slung the camera around her neck and clicked the telephoto lens into place, barely stopping to pull her hair into a messy bun before running out of the school and towards the field.

She was competitive - a trademark of being a Junk child - the youngest of three and always fighting to be the best at anything she did. Not so much for recognition, but to show off her superior knowledge and skill. Those same traits rubbed off in the classroom, always wanting to be the first on the scene for a potential hit article.

Really, Beca wasn’t nearly as competent as she was, Emily thought.

As luck would have it, she was so lost in thought that she didn’t notice something - someone, rather - walking out of the locker room in front of her, colliding into the person with a soft ‘oof’. “I’m so sorry, I was trying to get onto the field and I really didn’t notice, I -“ Emily started, words dying on her lips when Aubrey laid her hand on Emily’s forearm.

“Relax, it’s fine.” A smirk turned up on the corners of her lips, hand on her hip while the other clutches at the blue and yellow pom poms. “You never texted me after class.”

“I uh, was getting ready?”

“Is that a question or an answer?” Aubrey countered, bending down to retie her pristinely white cheer shoes.

Emily totally didn’t stare at her ass.

They were interrupted by the shrill blow of the whistle followed by the shriek of the coach calling the cheerleaders to the field for one last practice before kickoff. Aubrey was the first to move, fingers slipping from Emily’s forearm gingerly, returning her arm back to her side awkwardly.

It was the first time Emily had seen Aubrey be anything less than perfect in front of others.

“Meet me behind the bleachers after the game. We can go get a milkshake and talk about the project or something.” Aubrey smiled her perfect, toothy grin before tossing her ponytail over her shoulder and sauntering off to the field, pleated skirt swaying as she practically bounced on her toes.

“Or something…” Emily murmured, toe of her converse digging into the dirt before shrugging and walking over to the rest of the newspaper staff, Beca and Jesse already involved in a heated debate about what team would win.

“Sup, Junky?” Beca nodded casually, pushing off from the side of the bleachers she was leaning against. She was the epitome of broody reporter - part time musician - with her heavy eyeliner and copious amounts of ear piercings, flannel tied around her waist and black tank top riding up slightly.

“Nothing.” It wasn’t entirely a lie, she really was doing nothing right now - well, nothing except for trying not to stare at Aubrey while the cheerleaders rehearsed.

“Don’t ‘nothing’ me. I see you watching Chloe’s friend...Audrey, isn’t it?” A smirk tugged at Beca’s lips, waiting on Emily’s response.

“It’s Aubrey.” She paused for a moment before opening her mouth again, words failing to come. “I’m uh, not watching her. I have to go.”

Emily ran off in a hurry, notebook tucked under her arm and one hand laid protectively over her camera. She crouched at the sidelines, pen slipping behind her ear as she readied herself before the national anthem began to play.

———

The game was good - great, even - the Barden Bulldogs won by a landslide and Emily got some amazing pictures and quotes for her article, but there was something off about it. That something being Aubrey. No matter how hard she tried, Emily couldn’t tear her eyes - or camera lens - away from the blonde cheerleader.

Especially when she smiled.

Definitely when she smiled.

After the game, Emily was ready to pack up and go home when Aubrey sauntered over to her, bottom lip perfectly ensnared between her teeth. She looked a bit nervous, hands balled into small fists at her sides, though the corners of her eyes were still creased with a smile.

“You’re gonna bail on me?” She sounded upset, lips drawn into a pout that shattered Emily’s heart.

“I didn’t think you were serious.”

“I'm always Dixie Chicks serious.” Aubrey nodded slightly before clasping her fingers around Emily’s wrist and tugging slightly, head nodding in the direction of the parking lot. “Do you drive?”

“Oh, uh no. My mom drives me.” Emily’s cheeks heated up in a blush, head ducking as she spoke. To her surprise, there was no teasing laughter, only a thoughtful nod as Aubrey pulled her towards the parking lot.

She didn’t let go of Emily’s wrist until they reach the parking lot.

Aubrey sauntered over to a teal blue truck, grinning as she unlocked it and motioned for Emily to get in. It was the same car Emily had seen at school every day for over a year, but she never made the connection that it belonged to Aubrey of all people. It was just that she pictured her to drive something a little more modern.

Definitely not a teal blue 1967 Chevy pickup.

“This is yours?” Her jaw hung slack in disbelief, fastening her seatbelt as her eyes remained trained on the cheerleader, who was reapplying her lipstick in the rear view mirror.

“Oh, yeah. Daddy got me a car when I got my permit and this is what I wanted. We worked on it together and I gave it a paint job before I started taking it to school.” She was nonchalant about the entire thing, key turning over in the ignition as the truck roared to life.

Emily idly wondered if Aubrey had ever had to wait for anything she wanted or if it was all handed to her wrapped with a little pink ribbon. She had never had that luxury growing up, not with two older brothers and both parents drowning in student debt. It was a wonder that she was going to college at all, let alone a partial scholarship to Yale of all places.

“I really wish I could drive myself to school. It’s not that mom is embarrassing, she’s just...kind of embarrassing, you know?” Emily chuckled, zipping her camera away into its case as Aubrey pulled out of the lot.

It wasn’t strange, being so close to the cheerleader. In that moment, she felt like every other high school student, though Emily knew she wasn’t. She was a Posen, daughter to the richest man in the state and one of the most well known corporate lawyers in the country, wanted by every boy on the football team.

“I wish my mom was around more.” Aubrey murmured, skinny fingers tucking a loose hair behind her ear before she opened her mouth to speak again. “Do you know how to drive?”

“Yeah, dad taught me when I was like, thirteen. Said it was an important skill growing up on a farm.”

Aubrey mulled the information over in her head for a moment, nodding thoughtfully as she turned off on a side road. “What if I started driving you to school?”

“You wouldn’t...you’re too cool for me.”

“You don’t know anything about me then.”

And really, Aubrey was right. Emily didn’t know anything about her besides the things she saw at school and at football games. Public appearances were deceiving - who else would think that perfect Aubrey Posen would be smoking behind the bleachers at halftime or hanging out with a nerd like Emily after the game?

They pulled into a small diner - something that looked entirely too ghetto for Aubrey’s taste. Not that Emily knew much about her usual hangouts and where she’d eat, she just didn’t expect it. The place looked run down and the parking lot was nearly empty, three cars in the entire place.

At Emily’s questioning look, Aubrey shook her head and let out a low chuckle, fingers moving to her ponytail and sliding the elastic down. She shook her head and tousled her hair, pushing it into place before looking back at Emily.

“Sometimes after a game I tell the rest of the squad that dad needs me home for some reason and I come here to get some fries instead.”

“That’s...really cool, Aubrey.”

“It’s so much easier than choking down salad or being stared at like you’re the outcast for ordering fries.” Aubrey jumped out of the truck, waiting for Emily with an expectant look on her face.

Being wanted? So much better than Emily had ever expected, even if it was in a friendly way.

She was so used to her friends being absorbed in their lives outside of the paper - but for her, there was no life outside of the school paper. Beca had music and Chloe, Chloe had Beca - plus her cheerleading - while Jesse had his music. Stacie danced and cheered, having claimed no time for anyone or anything but cheerleading and school, having already accepted an offer from Harvard.

And then there was Aubrey. Perfect, pretty Aubrey who was the captain of the cheerleading squad and head of the celibacy club, president of the student council who everyone fawned over. No one was really sure if they wanted to be her or if they wanted to be with her.

The whole thing confused Emily, really.

She hadn’t questioned her sexuality much over the course of high school, fitting herself into the crowd of girls in yearbook club who cooed over pictures of the football team and identified them by who had the best ass on and off the field. (It was Luke, by the way. He had the best ass by far.) But then Aubrey came along, perfume hanging in the air around them and actually noticed Emily.

It was game over from that moment on.

Emily Junk was a lesbian. She made a mental note to ask Beca all about lesbianism on Monday morning before their debrief in journalism class.

“Are you coming?” Aubrey’s voice rang out, smile heard though not seen.

“Yeah, I was just thinking.”

Emily tried her best to put on her happiest face, smile spreading across her lips as she bounced over to Aubrey, who was holding the door open for her. It was something she was used to - faking happiness - coming from a big family and two brothers, she hated to worry her parents unnecessarily.

“Thinking about?” Aubrey prompted, hand in Emily’s as she lead her over to a booth and sat down, patting the seat beside her.

That was not how booths should work.

You sit across from the other person and quietly sip your own milkshake while making pleasant conversation - it’s in every movie and television show that Emily had ever watched. Not that she went out with her friends much outside of school, her application to Yale demanding a rigorous schedule consisting of not much more than school, volunteer work, and studying.

She hesitated for a moment before sliding into the booth beside Aubrey, offering her a gentle smile. And really, in all of the life lessons her mother had ever tried to teach her, she should have taught Emily how much space was appropriate to leave between a platonic friend and yourself in a booth.

There was silence between them, Aubrey only half interested in the menu she was flicking through while Emily wrung her hands nervously and shifted in her seat. Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Emily, Aubrey cleared her throat and grinned.

“You’re so awkward. It’s cute.” She reached out and tapped Emily’s nose gently, grin spreading. “Anyways, what were you thinking about?”

You.

Even with as much social grace as Emily was lacking, she knew that was definitely not the right answer.

After contemplating her answer for a split second, she set her camera on the table and leaned forward a bit. “I’ve never been like, to hang out with someone from school. Not for anything but schoolwork, I mean. My mom is gonna be so impressed.”

Aubrey let out this little giggle that melted Emily’s heart - the way her nose scrunched and eyes wrinkled was just too cute to be legal. It wasn’t a mean laugh either, the kind of laughs Emily grew used to over the years having been dubbed the nerd of the class, it was a sweet sound that had her relaxing more than she thought possible in Aubrey’s presence.

“I don’t hang out with many people either. Dad is...a bit much to handle when he gets into the liquor at night. And you know, I don’t really like to party.” She turned back to the menu again, smiling softly to herself as though she had uncovered some hidden little secret about Emily.

The statement shocked Emily a bit, if she were being honest. Being a member of the cheerleading squad carried a reputation of being a party girl, something Aubrey rarely indulged in. Not that Emily would know much - she was adamantly against parties and underage drinking, much to Beca’s amusement.

And really, Beca might be her only sort of friend, but it was still an irresponsible decision.

“I didn’t know that.” She wondered what else she didn’t know about the cheerleader, looks being deceiving clearly.

They mostly exchanged small talk as they waited for their food, Aubrey insisting that they share a chocolate strawberry milkshake and an order of fries. It was nice to feel wanted - for both of them, actually. Emily was a nice change from the usual girls who only wanted to have Aubrey hook them up with some football player or talk about her behind her back.

And for Emily? It felt like she was wanted for more than copying her homework or getting on the front page of the Barden Daily.

When their food came, Aubrey bounced excitedly in her seat in this adorable way that made Emily honest to god swoon. She watched with rapt attention as Aubrey plucked the cherry from the glass, lips wrapping around the fruit in a way that should be utterly sinful.

Emily was going to fucking hell for the thoughts she was having about Aubrey’s lips.

“Aren’t you going to try some?” Aubrey smirked, her lips wrapped around the straw and taking a long sip. “They’re the best, I swear.”

“That’s not the only thing I want to try.” Emily grumbled, barely loud enough for herself to hear, let alone Aubrey. She leaned forward and took a sip of the drink, letting out a pleased sound as she sipped.

“Can I see some of your pictures?”

Emily’s heart raced with the thought of Aubrey seeing into that little window of her soul. It felt entirely too private, yet like she should just let her see some of them. It didn’t have to be everything - hell, it didn’t even have to be pictures from tonight’s game - but it still make Emily nervous.

Admittedly, it was because Aubrey was the focus of entirely too many pictures. But how could Emily not photograph her? She was the most beautiful thing on the field.

“Uh, yeah…” Emily trailed off, getting her camera out and pressing a few buttons. She tried to stall, heart catching in her throat at the sheer embarrassment of Aubrey seeing what she had photographed.

It wasn’t like she could say no. Not after Aubrey had been so nice.

Aubrey leaned into Emily’s side in a way that had her mind racing. Her mouth went dry as her heart hammered away, trying not to spontaneously combust from being that close to Aubrey. And okay, she was almost positive that she was gay now.

From the way the soft skin of Aubrey’s thigh felt against her leg to her perfume wafting in Emily’s nose...yeah, she was pretty sure she was gay.

“I, uh, took some of you.”

The look on Aubrey’s face was positively radiant. Tension fell from Emily’s shoulders as she leaned closer to Aubrey, small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Her fingers moved around the camera’s buttons with practiced ease, Aubrey’s eyebrows raising in amusement.

“What?” There was a smirk on Emily’s lips, head half cocked as she looked over at Aubrey.

“Nothing. You’re just…” Aubrey trailed off, finger between her lips as she gnawed on her nail, deep in thought. “You’re talented.”

“Please. I click a few buttons on a camera, I’m not at the top of a pyramid or anything like that.” She flicked through a few more pictures before zooming out and displaying four on the screen - all of Aubrey. “I like these. Especially that one in the bottom corner.”

Your smile is everything.

Fuck, I’m gay.

Aubrey nodded thoughtfully, hands clasping over Emily’s as she stared at the camera. The faintest of smiles creeped onto her lips before giving way to the most gorgeous grin Emily had ever seen. She pulled the camera closer and clicked on one of the pictures - a closeup of Aubrey staring at the scoreboard, pensive look on her face with her tongue poking through her lips.

“I like this. I like all of these, actually. These are seriously the best pictures I’ve ever seen...I love them.” She looked almost in awe, eyes shining as she clicked through the other pictures. Her fingers lingered on the buttons before licking her lips thoughtfully, looking over at Emily with a sparkle in her eyes. “Can you send them to me?”

And really, Emily couldn’t say no. Not just in that instance, but in everything Aubrey ever asked her to do. She too fell powerless to the literal goddess that was Aubrey Posen - not that she at all minded. It was how she ended up in Aubrey’s bedroom the following day, both girls sprawled out on the floor with biology textbooks and notes strewn around the room.

Aubrey looked casual for a change, no makeup and hair thrown on top of her head in a messy bun but still in jeans and a blue Barden shirt. It occurred to Emily that Aubrey really did live and breathe Barden High.

They were both laid out on their stomachs, foreheads nearly touching as they read over the same page for what felt like the millionth time. Aubrey let out a long huff, pushing her hair back behind her ear as she flopped to the floor.

“I just don’t get it.” She whined, chin resting in her hands. “Why is this so hard?”

“Because you text in class instead of listening to the lesson. Here, XY recessive genes…” Emily pointed to a spot on the page before nodding thoughtfully. “One single recessive chromosome will cause disease in a male being that there is only one X chromosome.”

Aubrey nodded halfheartedly before popping up to her knees and rummaging through the drawer of her desk, earning a confused glance from Emily. “I’m bored, let’s go sit outside for a minute.”

“It’s cold outside, and we need to finish this.” Emily started, though already sitting up and looking to Aubrey for direction.

“Relax. You’re staying the night, remember? We can work on this later...or in the morning.”

Emily’s heart nearly stopped at the mention of spending the night with Aubrey. She knew it was really nothing but friends hanging out, but the thought of sleeping so close to Aubrey had Emily’s mouth running dry. She really didn’t think she’d live much longer. “Y-yeah, it’ll be fine.” She nodded, more to reassure herself than Aubrey.

There was a soft rustle from the drawer Aubrey was digging in, a small noise of triumph coming from her lips as she set a bottle on her desk - a small bottle of vodka and a pack of cigarettes, to be specific. Emily’s jaw about hit the floor. Sure, she had seen Aubrey smoke before, it was just so strange.

In an instant, Aubrey was standing at the window and fooling with the latch on the screen, all the while looking back at Emily with the goofiest little smile on her face. The screen popped out effortlessly, like Aubrey had done this a million times before. She probably had, Emily thought.

“Are you coming?” Aubrey sat on the ledge of her window, grabbing her drink and cigarettes off the desk before easing herself down onto the roof and crossing her legs. “Bring a blanket...it’s cold.”

How could she resist?

Emily nodded dumbly, grabbing the blanket off of the chair and climbing out onto the roof, admittedly with much less grace than Aubrey had shown. It looked so...effortless coming from her, something that brought a little pang of jealousy to Emily’s chest. How could someone be so beautifully effortless in every movement she made?

She eased herself down beside Aubrey, one leg outstretched and one half bent in a position that looked about as awkward as she felt. Shaking the blanket out, Emily spread it over her lap before looking to Aubrey and gauging her next move.

“Have you ever drank before?” Aubrey’s voice was gentle, much less boisterous than it had been in her bedroom.

Emily shook her head. No, she was a goody two shoes, afraid to even put a cigarette to her lips despite the fact that she had already turned eighteen and it was perfectly legal. What an ironic role reversal - the good girl nerd and the bad girl chastity club president.

“Do you want to drink?”

Did she? Emily lived her life afraid of the law and her parents, never daring to do a thing that would put her even remotely close to being in trouble. She nodded warily, watching carefully as Aubrey took a swig from the bottle. “Y-yeah, I guess I can try.”

Aubrey nodded thoughtfully, setting the cap down and passing the bottle to Emily. Her smile was faint yet gentle, not pressuring yet reassuring in a way that Emily needed. She tipped the bottle back, shuddering when the drink touched her tongue. It was fiery yet smooth, burning her tongue and throat in its path. The burn gave way to a comforting warmth, Emily handing the bottle back to Aubrey with a slight grimace on her face. “Not bad.”

“Not bad at all. It doesn’t burn as bad when you get used to it.”

Emily nodded again, leaning back against the brick wall as she got comfortable. To her surprise, Aubrey shifted and laid herself against her lap - back propped on Emily’s bent leg and hips settled between her legs. She looked about as nervous as Emily felt, fingers flicking the beaten up pack of cigarettes open and drawing one out. “Do you mind?”

Did she? Beca smoked all the time - much to the chagrin of her girlfriend - and she didn’t entirely hate it.

“No, go ahead.”

Aubrey settled the cigarette between her lips, hand cupping over the end as she flicked the lighter and lit it. “I don’t suppose you’ve ever smoked.” She exhaled, head turned away from Emily and towards the street below them.

It was vaguely poetic. Two misfit teenagers stargazing on the porch, bottle of liquor between them and smoke billowing out into the night sky, carrying over the cars beneath them.

“No...I guess I’m too good for that.” Emily chuckled, shaking her head. Her fingers twitched, wanting nothing more than to brush back the hair that fell over Aubrey’s eyes. She refrained, too afraid to ruin whatever sort of strange friendship they had formed over the past few days.

Aubrey nodded slowly, cigarette between her lips as she fumbled with the cap on the bottle. She exhaled, long and deep, before putting the bottle to her lips and taking a long sip.

Something came over Emily - something entirely unknown - as her hand shot out expectantly, bottle moving to her lips in a move she had never expected herself to make. The drink was a little warmer this time, settling into the pit of her stomach in a ball of pleasant warmth.

“Look up.” Aubrey whispered, cigarette pointing towards the sky like a glowing orange pointer.

Emily tipped her head back, following the shaky orange glow that gave way to the stars. It was no wonder Aubrey sat on the roof to stargaze - they were so much brighter from this angle.

“They’re prettier from up here. You gotta get above the streetlights, they really ruin your view.”

It was like Aubrey could read her mind - and if she could, Emily was in trouble. But she was right, it was so much more beautiful from the roof, and it didn’t help that she had Aubrey laid across her lap. It only added to the strangely poetic vibe she felt, smell of smoke and vodka filling her nose mixing with the faint scent of Aubrey’s body spray.

They sat in silence for a while, and in a way it felt like it had been forever. They passed the bottle back and forth, taking careful sips as their heads began to feel more clouded and bodies a little heavier. Aubrey was chain smoking one after another, pack now empty and cigarette now burnt out, butt between her lips still.

“Can I tell you something?” Aubrey’s words were slightly slurred, jaw flexing as though she were trying to form words her brain was no longer capable of making.

“Anything.”

“I’m gay.”

It was a quiet admission, air between them feeling a little heavier and thicker. Emily was never known for her tact whilst sober, and slightly tipsy Emily did not want to ruin anything with Aubrey. She was quiet for a second, brain nearly blank as she fought to find the right comforting words.

“Me too...I mean, I think I’m gay, at least. I guess I could be bi, I just...really don’t know.”

Aubrey nodded thoughtfully, flicking her cigarette butt off the roof and laying her hand on Emily’s knee. She almost worried that it had made everything awkward - admitting that she was maybe, possibly, kind of gay - and then Aubrey took a shaky breath, more trepidatious than Emily was used to seeing from her.

“Have you ever kissed a girl?”

No. She hadn’t. But had Aubrey?

The thought of Aubrey’s lips pressed to another woman’s had Emily’s heart beating a little bit faster in both jealousy and a weird sense of excitement.

“No, I uh, I haven’t.”

“Would you like to? Kiss a girl, I mean.” Aubrey’s voice was soft, head turned towards Emily’s. Her hand was still on Emily’s knee, fingers dancing over her jeans gently.

This was it, the defining moment in her sexuality and Emily could barely think, let alone speak. She wanted to say yes - god, did she ever - but her mouth ran dry at the thought of kissing Aubrey. It was like a god damned dream.

Was it the alcohol?

“I mean, so you can be sure...that you like girls, or something.” Aubrey rushed out, eyes boring into Emily’s own as though she were searching for a grand answer, possibly permission.

Emily nodded slightly, lip drawn between her teeth nervously as Aubrey shifted, pushing herself into a more upright position.

“Y-yeah. I would like that.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

Aubrey turned in Emily’s lap, legs hooking around her waist and settling one hand on the taller woman’s shoulder. For a moment they stilled nose to nose, breath mingling, too afraid to make the next move.

Aubrey smelled of smoke and alcohol with a sweet undertone. The cotton candy they had eaten earlier, Emily presumed. She wanted nothing more than to surge forward and press their lips together - but no, this was Aubrey’s move.

She would wait on her.

“I’m going to kiss you now.”

She inched forward, free hand moving to cup Emily’s cheek gently as she pressed their lips together. It was gentle at first, lips barely brushing and mouths screwed shut in a poor attempt at making it less awkward than it needed to be.

And god damn, there were fireworks.

It was like everything in Emily’s life suddenly made sense all in the brush of their lips. She let out a shocked gasp, lips parting ever so slightly, giving Aubrey just enough room to gently nip at Emily’s bottom lip.

Suddenly they were kissing - really kissing. It was awkward, tongues slipping against each other’s and teeth clashing in a way that should have been painful if it weren’t just so...good.

Aubrey tasted of tobacco and liquor, breath hot against Emily’s as her hand dropped from her shoulder down to her waist, fingers grasping at the waist of her jeans. Emily wondered if she could get drunk - drunker, rather - from someone else’s saliva.

They pulled back slightly, both women panting quietly as they tried - and failed - to not make the situation any more awkward than it was. Emily’s eyes locked on Aubrey’s lips, slightly swollen and wet, a smirk tugging on the corners of her lips.

“So are you?” She asked, head cocked in a way that should have been mocking if it weren’t Aubrey.

“Am I what?”

“Gay. That was the point of that, wasn’t it?”

Emily’s face fell, heart sinking impossibly low in her chest. Oh. It was only simple experimentation. She shrugged, attempting nonchalance, though failing and looking like the biggest dork.

It was only more endearing to Aubrey.

“Y-yeah, I guess I’m pretty gay.”

Aubrey’s face softened, a light laugh falling from her lips. She looked so carefree, eyes alight in a way that Emily had only seen when Aubrey was cheering - a conversation revealed that she was truly happy on the field. “Thank god. You didn’t say anything and I thought I was the only one who felt it.”

“Stop teasing me! You made me think that you didn’t feel anything. You are stone cold, Aubrey Posen. Stone damned cold.”

————

Emily could not believe herself. Never in a million years did she ever expect that she would a member of the celibacy club, of all extracurriculars - but that came hand in hand with dating the president, she presumed. As did watching cheerleading practice and attending all games, and not just with a camera against her face.

“You are so whipped, Junk.” Beca snorted, shaking her head.

They were sat by the lockers outside of the gym, waiting on Chloe, Stacie, and Aubrey to pack up after practice. To Emily’s surprise, Beca was actually quite interested in watching the girls practice, standing up and cheering whenever Chloe landed a tumbling pass.

Well, it was a fist in the air and a loud whoop, but that was as close to cheering as Beca Mitchell would ever get.

“Am not.” She paused for a moment, devilish smirk passing her lips. “You’re the whipped one, staying after school to watch Chloe cheer.”

The look on Beca’s face was near incredulous, lips forming a harsh pout as she narrowed her eyes at the taller woman. “I just like to watch her ass.” She folded her arms across her chest, grumbling lowly.

“Excuse me, you love to watch my what?” A chipper voice and flash of red hair emerged from the locker room, much too bright and energetic for having just practiced for two hours. Aubrey was trudging alongside her, shoulders slumped and duffle bag dragging the floor.

Emily jumped up from the lockers, rushing over to Aubrey and taking her bag, offering her the Diet Coke she had in her hand. “Let me take that, babe. You look exhausted, are you sure you want to go out?”

She couldn’t help it, she was just concerned.

“Whipped.” Beca hissed, smirk on her lips again. Emily barely resisted the urge to punch her arm.

“So, I’m starving.” Aubrey whined, trudging alongside the group as they made their way to the parking lot.

“Diner?” It was Stacie who made the suggestion, tossing her auburn hair over her shoulder nonchalantly.

The group murmured their agreeances, and for once, Emily actually belonged. She was so used to being the outcast - being the one that no one actually wanted to hang out with - that it was a little bit strange. Stacie cleared her throat, looking pointedly at Emily, who seemed to have zoned out.

“So...you in too?”

Emily beamed, nodding eagerly. “Yeah uh, I didn’t think…”

“That you were part of the group?” Aubrey questioned, looking at Emily with a wild look on her face. 

“Um, yeah...” 

“For a nerd, you’re kind of dumb.” Aubrey murmured, hooking a finger under Emily’s chin and tilting her head up and pulling her in for a kiss. 

And yeah, maybe she was kind of an idiot. 


End file.
